Tom Brady and Pedro Martinez have brought New England sports fans some of their greatest moments over the last 17 years or so. Pedro was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame this week, and Brady is already a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame whenever it is that he decides to hang it up.

In the span of four hours this week, the achievements, integrity and character of both stars was openly brought into question by the top rated show on local sports radio.

The accusations are veiled under the disingenuous the guise of “HeyI’m just asking the question,” but in reality there is no attempt here to “speak the truth”, as some lackeys of the show would claim. There is no claim of actual knowledge by the hosts – that would take actual work and effort – and they are even too cowardly to make an direct accusation. The one and only object is to lob innuendo-loaded bombs over the fan base to rile them up, and then sit back and laugh and collect a paycheck.

It was suggested – though in reality portrayed as fact – that both Martinez and Brady benefited from from performance-enhancing drugs. In addition, Brady was called a “prima donna” and the image of Martinez is that of a punk.

The show continues to gather huge ratings. My question is why?

Is this enjoyable? To whom?

At what juncture do we reach a tipping point, where the trolling and negativity just becomes weary? We clearly haven’t reached that point yet, and I’m not sure we’re even close.

It may actually take a few years of all of these teams actually being as bad as they are portrayed to be for this to wind down. If the Patriots are actually 4-12, week after week of saying how much they suck might be as grating to the same people who currently make that claim about week after week of saying that a 12-4 team is good. (Which in reality isn’t happening now, despite claims that it is.)

It used to be fun to listen to sports radio during the week-long buildup to big games. Now it is something to be avoided at all costs by the true fan.

At this point, there are really only 2 1/2 local shows that I would recommend listening to with any regularity. Dennis and Callahan and Minihane can be very good when the topic is actual sports, not hotsportztakes. The best thing Kirk Minihane has done has made me like Gerry Callahan again. Minihane has taken over the full-time contrarian role, allowing Callahan to just be the guy who actually likes sports and the local teams.

Gresh and Zo are the best program on the air locally for Patriots and NFL talk. They are definitely worth a listen. Dale and Holley is the other show that I recommend. People tend to hate on Dale, which I don’t fully understand. They can be critical of the local team without purposefully dumping on them just for attention. They work well together, and add Jerry Thornton to this show was the best fit for him.

Inevitably, I’ll get the “Oooooh, you just want the media to be positive all the time about the teams, Bruce.” comments, tweets and emails from the select few who send me that same crap all the time.

That notion is ridiculous. I have no issue with legitimate criticism of the local teams. There is certainly enough of it to go around, despite all the winning that has taken place around here.

I draw the line at local hosts impugning the character and achievements of Hall of Fame athletes simply to rile people up and draw attention to themselves. It’s shameful.

For the past 18 weeks, the Patriots have comfortably cruised along the desolate highway of the AFC East, thwarting imposters like the Bills and Dolphins and subjecting the CYO-League Jets en route to their sixth consecutive divisional title. The switch behind the steering will be pushed off and the Patriots likely forced back down to earth come Saturday, however, as they ready to welcome the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC Divisional Round Game at Gillette Stadium.

A brewing rivalry has formed between the two teams in recent years. Dating back to the 2010 postseason, the Pats and Ravens have met three times in January and have traded wins in each affair. If trends hold true to Saturday’s matchup, it’s the Patriots who are due to advance and play either Denver or Indianapolis next week. Focus remains on exposing Baltimore’s weak secondary on Saturday at home first, where Patriots tickets on the secondary market are the cheapest for a postseason game between the teams past the Wild Card Round in the last five seasons.

Patriots vs Ravens tickets on TiqIQ now own an average secondary price of $332.82, which is 35.2% cheaper than 2011’s AFC Championship Game’s average of $514.29 and 37.2% cheaper than 2012’s AFC Championship Game’s $530.78 average, both of which were also played in Foxborough. Only the Wild Card Game at the conclusion of the 2009 season was cheaper, where average price for the January 10, 2010 game was $205.25. Get-in price for Saturday’s game is currently listed at $130.

While each team takes one step closer to this year’s Super Bowl festivities in Arizona, the Patriots will have Rob Gronkowski on hand in a playoff game for the first time since 2011’s Super Bowl loss to the Giants. The 25-year-old tight end has played an integral role on New England’s thriving offense this season and has risen to superstardom following a series of arm and leg injuries that sidelined him significantly in 2012 and 2013. He’ll serve as one of the many threats the Patriots will display on the field this weekend, with Tom Brady hoping to rid the naysayers who believe he’s playing in his swan song season.

Baltimore won’t be that easy to get rid of, however. The Ravens struggled in the secondary this season and fishing a disappointing 23rd in the league in pass defense, but the rush defense was elite and ranked 4th in the league. Joe Flacco will look to counter the Patriots with his offensive rush as he gives Justin Forsett the ball, who rushed for 1,266 yards this season and scored eight touchdowns.

With ticket prices at their cheapest since 2010’s Wild Card Game, the Patriots will look to find holes in a streaking Ravens team this Saturday. A win would solidify a spot in the AFC Championship Game, which would be played in New England if the Patriots defeat the Ravens. Expect Brady and Gronkowski to link up and exploit Baltimore’s defensive weakness while Joe Flacco relies on Forsett to take his team to their third AFC Championship Game in the last four seasons.

During Saturday night’s NFL Wild Card playoff game between the Ravens and Steelers on NBC, you could hear Cris Collinsworth signing the praises of Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs. In addition to praising his play on the field (which was sensational) Collinsworth also referred to Suggs as a “jokester” off the field at one point.

During commercial breaks, NBC (and all networks carrying the games) are running NFL PSA spots on domestic violence under the slogan NO MORE.

This week, Suggs will be in demand from many in the media as they hope to get juicy quotes from him in the run up to Saturday’s divisional playoff game against the Patriots. They’ll laugh at his proclamations and say how great he is. They’ll call him “Sizzle” and the Ravens notoriously tone-deaf Twitter account will continue to deify him.

Meanwhile, “Sizzle” is playing in the NFL despite having a much worse track record in the domestic violence department than former teammate Ray Rice, who lost his job this season following a well-publicized disgusting incident at a casino in which he knocked out his then-fiancee.

Dennis and Callahan and Minihane spent a good deal of time this morning going over the details in this column, specifically the 2009 incident in which Suggs pinned his then-girlfriend, now wife to the floor and poured bleach over her and their son.

When she turned around, according to her complaint, he knocked her to the ground and sat on top of her, grabbing her neck and holding an open bottle of bleach over her.

Williams wrote that Suggs used an obscenity and said he was going to “drown [her] with this bleach.”

She put her hands over the cap, but the cleaner spilled onto her and their son, she wrote. He then told her to get out of the house, dressed and left for the game, she wrote.

She also reference a history of previous incidents. Over the next few years there were at least two protective orders filed against Suggs. In 2012, Suggs was ordered to hand over his seven guns, including an AK-47 after the following incident:

Terrell Suggs’ longtime girlfriend claimed in a protective order filed last month that the Ravens’ Pro Bowl outside linebacker punched her in the neck and drove a car containing their two children at a “high rate of speed” while she was being dragged alongside.

The Levin article shows that no action was ever taken by the NFL despite their assertion that they would “look into it.”

Despite this history, Suggs continues to be popular with many in the media, who run to him for quotes and look forward to what he’s going to say next.

Not all media seem to be as enamored with Suggs and how he is regarded, especially by those in Baltimore:

I found it interesting how many grown men (not teammates) addressed Terrell Suggs as "Sizzle" tonight.

If Dan Shaughnessy is actually the bravest columnist around, as his boss claims he is, maybe he can ask Suggs why he is free to play in this game while Ray Rice sits at home unemployed, and Greg Hardy (whose history is very similar to Suggs) sits out while the Panthers head to Seattle this week.

If Shaughnessy wants to make himself a national story as he often does, this is the perfect opportunity for him. He won’t though. He loves Suggs, as evidenced by this line in his column today: Wacky Terrell Suggs loves to get in the face of Brady…

Yeah, wacky. That wacky, jokester Terrell Suggs.

I’m sure Shaughnessy would rather sit back and take shots at the likes of the menacing Rajon Rondo instead anyway.

Yes, John Tomase. I was all ready to go scorched-earth this morning after his WEEI debut column yesterday entitled I’m Not Here To Be A Fan.

To me, the title just hits all the wrong notes as a reader. Regardless of what the column inside says, when you declare yourself to not be a fan, the implication is that being a fan is a lower form of life. When you even jokingly make reference to footie pajamas, and then cite among your role models as a writer Ron Borges and Kirk Minihane, it doesn’t bode well. (and no, John, we don’t “love to hate” them. We just hate them.) When you humblebrag about some of your takedowns in the past (like on Manny Ramirez) and fail to mention at all the one thing you are most known for in your career, it seems just…dishonest. How can you “introduce” yourself to your audience without addressing that?

Even if this bit is encouraging:

And so I will never, ever write something I don’t believe, or play the contrarian just because. Most attempts at “hot takes” end up tepid, brackish and tasting vaguely of urine. That’s not my scene.

It doesn’t ring true. Tomase is asking for a chance, but doesn’t tell us why we should believe anything he says.

It’s difficult, if not impossible to look past what was done in the past. If you or I did something that forced our employer to issue a public apology, would we still be employed there? Would we likely be able to even get a job in the same industry?

Media is funny. They demand accountability yet, people like Tomase, Borges, Mike Barnicle, etc etc, are all able to move on, get new and better jobs, and pretend that what they did never happened.

Many of you will not be able to move on. I’ve gotten many comments, tweets, emails, from those who say they will never read anything Tomase writes again. I understand that point of view. I largely agree with it.

I’m willing to monitor Tomase for a bit though, and see how things go with this new role. Even that is not easy for me to do with any sort of bias creeping in. It’s a new year though, so maybe, just maybe I can give it a shot.

….they have locations at Downtown Crossing and the Meadow Glen Mall. So, when you’re looking to put fashion first, go to Tello’s. You’ll look the part.

MF: OK, we’re back Tony, and it’s time to get to last night’s debacle.

TM:I couldn’t believe my eyes Mike.

MF: If you’ve been living in a cave, YOUR Boston Celtics last night took the gaspipe on the parquet to the Portland Trailblazers….yeah, you’re hearing me right….a mediocre Portland team walked into the Boston Garden and annihilated them.

TM: It is very concerning Mike.

MF: And all of you pom-pom wavers can’t blame this one on Larry Bird’s back…he played most of the game…at least until it was clear they had been blown out.

TM: They just sucked Mike.

MF: Really bad night for the confetti mafia…let’s go to the phones. Steve from Fall River..what do you got?

Yeah, thanks Felgie. Coupla points. You know, they drafted this kid Sam Vincent. I saw a game last year when he was on Michigan where he scored 31 points. He was unstoppable. Why don’t they put him in as the starter when you can tell DJ doesn’t have it. I mean, with DJ, you know right away when he’s on and he just wasn’t on last night. Of course, KC Jones would rather be playing piano than coaching the team. Why can’t we see what this kid Vincent has got?

MF: Thanksforthecall Steve. Well, I think that’s obvious Tony. First of all, you and I both know that DJ wouldn’t like that.

TM: Oh no, Mike…that’s for sure.

MF: We keep hearing about how Dennis is a changed man, Dennis is a good teammate…but if they tried anything like that, we’d see “West Coast Dennis” faster than Clyde Drexler running down the parquet last night.

TM: We all know that’s what would happen but Celtics’ fans think that the Green grows on trees Mike.

MF: And as far as Sam Vincent goes Tony, he was a GREAT college player.

TM: I never saw him play Mike.

MF: Me neither Tony, but he averaged over 20 points last year. This year he’s averaging 2!

MF: They’re the worst team in the NBA at drafting and developing players and it isn’t even close Tony. How are YOU going to keep up with the Lakers if they find a key player in the draft every year while YOU brick every pick YOU make?

TM: They’ve lost ground Mike. It’s OK to admit it.

MF: John in Wakefield –what do you have for us?

Hi Felgie – love the show. Boy, that loss last night was pathetic. They looked old and slow. Parish especially…how many years to think he has left? I’m just concerned with Walton’s injury history and Parish’s age that they’re going to get rolled over by Kareem in the finals.

MF: John – thanksforthecall. There’s another guy Tony. Robert Parish. I mean, he clearly doesn’t want to be here.

TM:The next time he smiles will be the first time all season Mike.

MF: What you need to understand about Robert Parish is that he is a mercenary. He plays basketball as a career, but he’s not someone that truly loves the game. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was his last year Tony. He’s not a guy that will be playing into his 40’s.

TM:You’re absolutely right Mike. And then you have a crippled Bill Walton and Greg Kite as your center, and Greg Kite sucks!

MF: 90SecondsAndASportsFlash….Beetle?

Thanks Mike. The Red Sox finally dumped Mark Clear today in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for backup journeyman shortstop Ed Romero. Steve Kasper will be out for 7-10 days with an injured knee. The surprising 10-4 New England Patriots are getting ready for their biggest game in decades against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night in Miami. I’m Beetle Bertrand, and that’s a flash.

TM:The Patriots, oh please. They’re going to get killed.

MF: They haven’t won in Miami in what – a quarter century Tony?

TM:And it’s a Monday night game! They never win on Monday night! Heck, they’re lucky to be playing on Monday night. That game will be a reality check against a real team with a real coach Mike.

MF: I agree. Let’s go to Greg in Natick – Greg, what’s happening?

Nothing Mike…just wanted to talk a little bit more about the Celtics. They got exposed last night by a team full of ath-a-letes. They don’t have any athletes on the team. As the season goes on, this inevitably is going to happen more as this young, athletic teams run circles around them. This kid Jordan on Chicago seems like the kind of guy they could use; any chance Chicago would take Wedman and Sichting for him?

MF: Thanskforthecall Greg. Tony – have you seen this kid Jordan play?

TM: No Mike – I’ve never heard of him. Is he new?

MF: Yes, Chicago drafted him a few years ago and he’s really coming into his own. He had 41 points a few nights ago against Indiana, and if the season ended today, we’d be playing Chicago in a 5 game series.

For once, Bill Belichick humbled himself and listened to the sport talk radio hosts and sat fragile tight end Rob Gronkowski in the season finale yesterday against the Buffalo Bills.

Now if he would just say things to the media like, I just want to apologize to everybody. I didn’t want to hold anybody up here today. or Thank you. Again I apologize for any inconvenience here. I hope I’ve taken care of everything for you.

What is happening here? The Patriots coach must’ve been really been running a high fever yesterday or something.

The Patriots finished their season with a 17-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. Having already wrapped up the top seed in the AFC last week, the Patriots sat many of their key players, including Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Dont’a Hightower, Brandon Browner and Dan Connolly. QB Tom Brady played the first half before giving way to Jimmy Garoppolo in the third quarter.

For years now, some in the media have been complaining about Rajon Rondo. He didn’t always play nice with the media (though the beat guys generally got along fine with him), his unorthodox playing style offended some of their sensibilities, and his uneven levels of play were infuriating to some. When he would come up huge in a playoff game against LeBron James they would wonder why he couldn’t play at that level all the time.

I’ll admit I’ve had some frustrations with the guy, though less in the last few years. But I recognized the things he could do – things which not many NBA players of his size and position can do. In the end, I’m sad to see him go, for many reasons. When on, he was great to watch, his final game in a Celtics uniform the other night showed that. He was the last vestige of the championship team of 2007-08, and his trade signals that this rebuilding process with the Celtics is much more of a long-term project that we had hoped for. On the plus side, I’m looking forward to seeing him on a good team again and see him go against the top level talent in the postseason.

Meanwhile, we’ll have plenty of media bashing Rondo, we’ll have the same ones bashing Rondo and saying that he’s not an “elite” (UNIQUE ISN’T ELITE!) player criticizing Danny Ainge for not getting more for him, and then you’ll have idiotic trolls like Dan Shaughnessy posting things like this:

I wasn't around him alot, but Rondo never struck me as super intellect I read about. Seemed more rude and disrespectful of people's jobs.

I don’t agree. I’m venturing that many of those who are mocking Felger and Mazz – and that is what they are doing – are not spending a whole lot of time listening to that show. By now they know the angles that are going to be taken, and it’s an exercise in showing just how pathetic and predictable that the show really is. I also don’t think that group is as big as Chad thinks it is. A few hundred people would not be representative of any bit of Felger and Mazz’s loyal lapdog audience.

Wes Welker Will Not Be Denied – This ESPN longread on the former Patriot has Welker insisting that he is not putting his future at risk with his multiple concussions.

If you’ve watched the Broncos this season, you can see that Welker is not what he was even two years ago during his final season with the Patriots. Yet you still have people writing to the mailbags asking if the Patriots can re-sign Welker this offseason. They can’t see the giant concussion helmet he’s wearing and the fork sticking out of his back? (and I like Wes)

Matt Patricia: WINNING – Matt Chatham tells you more about the Patriots defensive coordinator than you ever heard before, and why he deserves as much credit as anyone for the Patriots defensive revival.

New England avenged their opening day loss in Miami, handing out a second-half helping of humility (via a 24-point third quarter) on their way to defeating the Dolphins 41-13 and clinching the division. As the 2-2 11-3 locals struggle to find their identity move on to New York, where a win against the Jets would get them one step closer to the top seed in the AFC, let’s spend a moment and reflect.

Here’s the moment: Twelve years of 10 wins or more. At times during the last couple of decades of the previous century, many New England followers just hoped for the Pats to get over .500. Some years, the playoffs seemed like too much to ask for. This new-millennium, winning-season streak might stand out as the most impressive aspect of the Bill Belichick era. Because, really, that’s all fans wanted: Just a glimpse at nine wins, a step toward respectability for this franchise.

Think about this: area middle-schoolers have never experienced a losing season. When I was in middle school, the Pats went 2-14 (1981). Vastly different gig.

Some things that have stuck out during this remarkable 10-1 streak…

If You’re Lost You Can Look And You Will Find Me, Tom After Tom: Well, it’s just a darn shame that Tom Brady’s on his way down.

Oh, wait: he has 32 touchdown passes against eight interceptions? For 3,847 yards? At a 64.4 percent completion rate? Yeesh. Way to cooperate with the narrative, Tommy. Way to stay the same ol’, same ol’ MVP-caliber QB.

While naysayers will point to his ill-advised interceptions against Indianapolis and San Diego that made him seem about as calm as a capuchin monkey with hot sauce on his nethers, we have to look at his overall body of work: Since falling to 2-2 at Kansas City, this team has gone 9-1, and the quarterback play has been a big part of it. Also a big part of it…

For Those About To Gronk, We Salute You: In this Patriots Daily piece from September of 2011, we proclaimed Rob Gronkowski the “best all-around tight end in Foxboro since Ben Coates.” We stand by that statement. (Just so we don’t get too big for our britches, you can also read our optimistic words about a certain other tight end from the 2010 draft who shall remain nameless.)

After 14 games, the big fella has 76 catches for 1,093 yards (14.4 avg) and 11 touchdowns. Gronk’s only the third TE in history with three seasons of 10 or more TDs. And he’s 25 years old.

Fiesta changes the offense. He seems to supplement the intensity of his teammates and change the mentality of the home crowd. Did you ever watch the kids’ show “ZOOM”? They made up a language called ubbi dubbi that I never quite got the hang of, which reminds me of Gronk. With him on the field, the Patriots offense speaks an entirely different dialect which other teams have a difficult time translating. Anyway, thanks, “ZOOM.”

Ohhh, Two O-o-o-one, Three Fo-o-o-our!

Revis Is Fundamental: No matter what happens against New York this week, New England (the team, the region, the clam chowder: everybody) needs to thank the Jets for letting Darrelle Revis go after the 2012 season. Look at his stats, and nothing really stands out: 43 tackles, one forced fumble, two interceptions.

The biggest surprise of that line for me is that he has so many tackles. Revis is like a veterinarian for geldings: when he’s working, he’s not going to see a lot of balls. (Top that metaphor, Jerry Thornton!) He’s converse Gronk: where one attracts opponents’ attention, the other diverts it. The most important aspect of Revis’ presence gets summarized nicely by ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss, who pointed out in his Quick-hit Thoughts column that the Patriots have been in sub (pass-defense) packages almost 74 percent of the time this year. Without Revis, I wonder if that happens, and if it does, how much less effectively this D would perform.

Gray Skies Are Gonna Clear Up: Ah, running back Jonas Gray. The graph of his season production would look like the scariest roller-coaster ever created, a veritable Kingda Ka on creatine. First, gimme six zeroes for the beginning of the season that he spent on the practice squad. Then plot out 12 yards (Jets), 86 (Bears), 33 (Broncos), 201 (Colts), zero (Lions), four (Packers), nine (Chargers), and 62 (Dolphins). The man is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and continues to provide insurance for the playoffs – and for 2015.

He’s made a solid addition since the middle of the season. But he’s probably fourth on the list.

‘Tis The Season: As Christopher Price of WEEI.com has said on many occasions, the roster with which you enter the season is not the one you have for long. Looking at linebackers Akeem Ayers and Jonathan Casillas, defensive lineman/forklift Alan Branch, and running back/mini-loader LaGarrette Blount, the middle of this season has been a boon for Bill Belichick and company. Considering also that pass-rusher Chandler Jones and run-stopper Sealver Siliga have also returned from injury, the Pats look like they’re in solid shape as the end of the regular season approaches.

Ghost Is The Machine, Or Every Little Thing He Does Is Magic: As much as it hurt to see kicker Adam Vinatieri go lo these eight years ago, we have to appreciate Stephen Gostkowski. He’s the clock on the kitchen wall that you look up at when you come home for Thanksgiving and *whoosh* you’re back in high school on the phone that has the 17-foot-long stretchy cord, listening to Thompson Twins on the radio, trying to get up the nerve to ask that person who sits in front of you in English class out for chicken fingers and/or zucchini sticks at the Atlantic Café.

What? Just me? Anyway, he’s stuck around, proving to be nothing but dependable. This year, he’s made 94 percent of his kicks (31 of 33), including a long of 53 yards, hitting 11 of 12 attempts over 40 yards. Against Miami, he surpassed Vinatieri as the leading scorer in Patriots history with 1,165 points. Tony Franklin, Scott Sisson, John Smith: I tell you, the state of this franchise now? It’s not even funny anymore. And it used to be hilarious with those guys, in a laugh-to-ease-the-pain kinda way.

I Want To Be A Part Of It: We don’t know what will happen down in New York. Coach (for now) Rex Ryan will do just about anything to beat New England in what will probably be his last game against them as the HC of the NYJ. They came within a blocked field goal of winning against the Pats earlier this year.

But there’s something about this Patriots team right now, the way they play, the way they complement (and compliment) each other, the way the new additions have meshed with the stalwarts. We haven’t even discussed Julian Edelman (92 rec for 972 yards), or Brandon LaFell (63 for 819). We’ve neglected to bring up cornerback/street fighter Brandon Browner (21 tackles, 15 penalties) or linebacker/decathlete Jamie Collins (100 tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception, 41.2-inch vertical leap) And what about that offensive line and the emergence of rookie center Bryan Stork?

The Bruins beat the Wild 3-2 last night to halt a three-game skid. Get all the stories at BruinsLinks.com.

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My media column in Patriots Football Weekly this week looks at the teflon status of Jets coach Rex Ryan in the media. Despite this being the fourth straight season where the team will not finish over .500, everyone else gets the blame except Rex. Mike Tannebaum, John Idzik, Brian Schottenheimer, Tony Sparano, Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, anyone but Rex. The media has defended him and continues to defend him simply because he’s fun and gives them plenty of fun quotes.